In Germany, public transport will be made free, and this is not a joke

Germany, which is considered a country of cars, surprised its neighbors with an unexpected decision — to make public transport free in order to reduce the number of vehicles on the roads and thus reduce the concentration of emissions of harmful substances. For several years in a row, greenhouse gas emissions in Germany have exceeded the norm, and Berlin is trying to avoid large fines.

"We are considering making public transport free in order to reduce the number of personal vehicles," the government said. "Effective air pollution control without any unnecessary delays is a top priority for Germany."

The experiment with transport will be carried out by the end of 2018 in five cities in West Germany, including the former capital of Germany Bonn and industrial cities such as Essen and Mannheim.

Source: The Guardian

The European Commission threatens Germany with a lawsuit due to the fact that in many large cities of Germany, the level of nitrogen oxide in the air allowed in the EU has been exceeded for a number of years due to the exhaust gases of cars with diesel engines.

Public transport is very popular in Germany, given its efficiency and relative cheapness compared to other major European countries — one ticket in Berlin costs 2.90 euros (more than 212 rubles). In 2017, the number of passenger traffic reached 10.3 billion, and serious planning will be required before it will be possible to switch to free travel.

At the same time, critics of the idea of free travel point to high costs, as well as its impracticability in the near future. After all, the annual revenues of public transport enterprises in Germany amount to 13 billion euros, and the implementation of such a project will require much more personnel and vehicles.